on the loose
idiom
: able to move freely : not controlled or held in a prison, cage, etc.
—used especially to describe a dangerous person, animal, or group
The prisoner escaped and is still on the loose.
A killer is on the loose.
An angry mob was on the loose.
Examples of on the loose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The dog bit the victim’s hand multiple times, and the dog and its owner then ran away and remain on the loose, cops said.
—
Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The slaying struck fear in the quiet community of Adelanto, where rumors spread about a serial killer on the loose in Victor Valley, according to the Daily Press.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
As the moon and Saturn oppose, your inner control freak is on the loose.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
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Roni Jacobson, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2026
Tanner Jeannot created a turnover in the Vegas zone, poking it free from defenseman Ben Hutton, and Sean Kuraly pounced on the loose puck.
—Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 23 Jan. 2026
The slaying struck fear in the quiet community of Adelanto, where rumors spread about a serial killer on the loose in Victor Valley, according to the Daily Press.
—Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2026
As the moon and Saturn oppose, your inner control freak is on the loose.
—Usa Today, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the loose
Cite this Entry
“On the loose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20loose. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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